Aerial carrier for photographic films.



W. F. FOLMER.

'AERIAL CARRIER [OR PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5| l9".

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

J a 7 5 a WITNESSES lHISATTOR/JEKS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. FOLMEB, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ABSIGHOR TO EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AERIAL cums. FOB. PHOTOGBAFKIO FILMS.

lpecmeation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

Application filed April 5, 1917. leriallo. 15 9,85 0.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,- WILLIAM F. Fomnm of Rochester, in the county of Monroe an State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Carriers for Photogra hic Films; and I do hereby declare the 0 lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specifica- -tion, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to aeroarachutes and it has for its jects to provi e asimple, cheap and convenient device of this character that may be successfull used to safely convey to the und pho ographs or exposed photographic material taken by aviators in the course of journe s in the air. The improvements are directe in part toward making convenient andv positive the spreading-of the parachute when called into use and toward-the container for the film spool or other photographic record and its mode of attachment to the parachute. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claim at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fi re 1 is a side view of my improved aeria carrier as it appears while descending with its load, the parachute being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a lon 'tudinal sectional view through the arac ute and the case which maintains it in folded position Fig. 3 is an enlar ed sectional view of the container for the roll, and

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken sub stantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 illustrative of the manner in which the parachute parts are held together.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

In a device of the nature indicated, it is desirable that rovision be made for lowermg the undeve oped but exposed film from the aeroplane to the earth b a ntle fall that the film so incl -an rotected as to insure its preservation w ether it drops on land or water, and that the device be so simple and inexpensive and compact that a number of carriers may be provided for each operator and freely used.

the practice of my invention, 1 provide a parachute embodying a fabric or other. light flexible web 1 stretched upon wire or other spring ribs 2 radiating from a central vertical stem 3 terminating at its lower end in a shepherds hook 4. The pointed and roughened up er end 5 of the stem is driven into the ower end of a wooden anchor block 6 surrounded by a metal ferrule or sleeve 7. The inner ends 8 of the ribs 2 are driven into the upper end of the block and adjacent these ends the ribs are coiled at 9 to provide springs normally tending to expand them or project them laterally and stretch the web 1. But the web may be collapsed and the ribs folded to lie longitudinally of the stem 3 against the tension of the springs, as shown in Fig. 2. To hold the parachute so folded, a tubular casing 10 having a smooth interior open at both ends is slipped over it to both inclose and protect it as shown in Fig. 2. These casings may be individual or Banks of them may be providedto hold a number of separate parachutes.

A roll of exposed film 11 (Fig. 3) to be carried to the earth is slipped into a cylindrical box or container 12, the flanged cover 13 of which when put in place over the open end may be secured in a water tight manner by a strip of adhesive tape 14. In the cover is an eye 15 and this eye is engaged with the shepherds hook 4 on the parachute stem. By a subsequent pull on the latter, it is withdrawn from its tube 10 whereupon it immediately expands to the open position and the device is then ready to be thrown from the aeroplane. When the casings 10 are individual, they ma be held in the hand after the attachment 0 the container 12 to the hook 4 and the parachute and its burden flicked out of the end thereof by a jerk of the arm which will clear the device of the aeroplane as the parachute opens.

I claini as my invention:

In an aerial carrier for photographic film s ls, the combination with a folding paraute com rising a stem terminatin in a spring hoo a web, and spring ribs or expending the latter adapted to fold under spool and detachnbly suspended from the tension to li(e1 longilgucllinally of thle stem, fif hook of the parachute stem. an open en ed tu u ar case inc osing t e a parachute to retain the ribs in folded posi- WILLIAM P OLMLR' l5 tions and from which the parachute ma be Witnesses:

withdrawn by means of its stem and a uid RUSSELL B. Gnmrrm,

tight container adapted to receive the film Aomzs Nnsnrrr BISSELL. 

